Senator Feinstein Announces New Funding
for Important California Parks Projects
- Nearly $8 million is also secured for Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofit -
October 26, 2000

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein today announced a new agreement to provide federal funding for six important California environmental projects, including the purchase of a precious grove of ancient redwood trees bordering the Sequoia National Monument.

“Last year, members of Save the Redwoods League indicated to me the importance of saving the Dillonwoods Grove,” Senator Feinstein said. “I am very pleased to have been able to obtain the $5 million in federal funds, which will be matched with $5 million raised by the League for this purchase. This 1540-acre grove is the largest privately owned stand of giant redwood trees in the United States. It’s a treasure that we need to protect and preserve.”

“We have also succeeded in securing $8 million in federal funds for the purchase of salt flats along the San Francisco Bay now owned by Cargill Inc. An independent appraisal on the value of the 19,000 acres of salt flats owned by Cargill should be available in December. This money is significant because it indicates the commitment of the federal government to be a partner with California in providing for the largest single restoration of wetlands ever in the San Francisco Bay.”

In a separate development, Senator Feinstein also announced an agreement to provide $7.975 million for the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit project from Department of Transportation discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2001.

The environmental money comes from $179 million in unearmarked Land and Water Conservation Funds contained in the FY 2001 Interior Appropriations bill. Other projects are:

• Los Padres/Big Sur – $7 million to purchase the Front Ranch, the gateway to Big Sur.

• Lake Tahoe/High Meadow Property – $2 million to begin the purchase of an important 2,500 acre in-holding of alpine mountain meadows southeast of Lake Tahoe between Monument Peak and Freel Peak in El Dorado County, California.

• Otay Mountain and the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge – $2 million and $1.5 million respectively for land acquisition within the Southern California Habitat Conservation Plan.

• Golden Gate National Recreation Area/Keig Property – $1.175 million to buy 94 acres of land known as Marin City-Keig property, located between existing Golden NRA lands and Marin City. Acquisition of this property will create the first direct access to the Golden Gate NRA for residents of Marin City, many of whom live in federally owned public housing projects.